LONDON, Dec 16: The British press on Tuesday broadly excused England’s defeat by India in the first Test in Chennai, saying the importance of their presence far outweighed concerns about their performance.

India won a thrilling match by six wickets on Monday after batting star Sachin Tendulkar scored the 41st Test century of his illustrious career.

In Tuesday’s editions, newspapers here praised Tendulkar’s “sensational” and “utterly brilliant” play, and noted the historic impact of his achievement so soon after the attacks in his home city of Mumbai that left 172 people dead.

“England, who had sensed victory in this emotionally charged Test, ultimately bowed to Tendulkar’s unyielding determination to sooth a nation’s pain,” wrote one commentator in The Guardian.

He added: “Once their disappointment has diminished, England should reflect with satisfaction on the part they played in one of the most politically significant Tests in history.”

The Daily Mail’s correspondent agreed, saying that through his “utterly brilliant, match-winning and history-making century”, Tendulkar had achieved something that was “far, far bigger than cricket”.

“It simply does not matter that England had lost a Test they should have won,” he wrote.

The Telegraph remarked: “England were not disgraced. They could justifiably say they stretched every Indian sinew before conceding defeat. But the Indians wanted it more.

“In the end no one could deny the scriptwriter who had the favourite son of Mumbai hitting the winning runs in a record-breaking run chase and registering a hundred,” it said.

“And after all that’s happened, who would begrudge them that?”

However, former England batsman and commentator Geoffrey Boycott wrote in The Telegraph that the defeat was “still a kick in the guts” that “all the upbeat talk in the world will not cover up”.

The Times said Kevin Pietersen must adapt for the second and final Test of the series, starting in Mohali on Friday, along with the rest of the team warning that early fears he would, tactically, not be up to the job of captain looked justified.

But it too sought to put the situation into context.

“Now that it is over, and has been lost in such naive fashion, a few people may need reminding that this was only a game and both teams deserved credit simply for turning up,” the newspaper said.—AFP